Container



Ptente'd June 2o, 41939 UNITED sTATEs CONTAINER William Broaddus Massey, Southampton, Midlothian District, Va.

Application January 29, 1938, Serial No. 187,747

7 Claims.`

This invention relates toA a container particu# larly adapted for receiving ice cream or other plastic material.

Ice cream as now made contains from thirty per cent to Iifty per cent or more by volume of air which is beat into or otherwiselentrained by the ice cream vduring its manufacture. The presence of thirty per cent or slightly more air in the ice cream is desirable as it prevents the ice cream from having a sticky feel in the mouth, makes it smootherL and improves the taste. However, the presence of substantial amounts of air in the ice cream presents a serious nancial problem for the retailer, as the handling of the ice cream in getting it out of the large cans in which it is delivered to the retailer and the packing of it into the small containers in which it is delivered to the purchaser releases, or presses a large amount of. the air out of the ice cream. with the result that a retailer who purchases` a live-gallon can of bulk ice cream and sells it to 4purchasers in' one-pint or one-quart lots. mayonly be able to get from three and one-half to four gallons of ice cream from the original five-gallon can, the other gallon or gallon and a half being the air which was released or pressed out of it in packaging it into the smaller containers.

The present container, to a large extent, will eliminate the packaging loss of the retailer, as

such as ice cream or the like, when all of the air in the closed end ofy the cont'ainer has been displaced and that end of the container is full, so that it will not be necessary for the person filling the container thereafter to continue packing the ice' cream, with the resultant pressing of entrained air out of it, in order for him to be sure that no voids have been left in the bot-1' tom of the container. At the same time, the present container is so constructed as to ensure the customers obtaining full measure at all times.

In accordance with this invention the end of the container opposite the end Abeing filled-hereinafter called the opposing end-is provided with' a vent for the escape of air, and also for the escape of a small amount of the ice creamor other plastic after all the air has been complete-v been completely lled. According to the pre-V (Cl. 229-55) f J ferred embodimentl`of my invention, the container comprises a tubular body' of any desired shape, but preferably cylindrical, which is open at each end and is provided with closing caps having a close frictional fit with the tubular body. The tubular .body is provided with one or more small openings or vents adjacent at least the opposing end and sufficiently close tothe end to lie beneath the closing cap at that end. The closing cap at that end, or both caps if bothV ends of the tubular body are provided with the vent openings, is provided with openings or vents adapted, when the cap is in one angular position with respectto the tubular body, to register with the corresponding openings or vents in the tubular body. and when the cap is in another angular position with respect to the tubular body to be out of registry therewith and to prevent escape of the contents of the container through the openings. In accordance with another embodiment of my invention, the opposing end of the container is closed in the usual manner and the end wall is provided with an opening or vent which is adapted to be brought into or out of registry with a similar opening in an overlying cap, depending upon the particular angular position of the cap on that end of the container.

In accordance with a still further embodiment of my invention` the opposing end of the container is closed by the usual end wall and that end Wallis provided with a small tube slidable longitudinally therein and having a closed outer end and a small vent opening in its side Wall.y With such a container, the tube will project from the container while it is being filled and the opening in the` side wall will provide a vent for air in the clos'ed end of the container until that end has been completely lled with ice cream or the like, after which a small amount of the ice cream will pass through the opening, indicating'that that end of the container is completely lled. Then, or after the container has been completely lled and the closure applied to the otherend, the small tube may be pushed into the container for a distance. at least sulcient to cause the opening in the side lwall'to lie within the container. I A

While containers embodying my presentinvention may be iilled in the usual manner, that is, by a spoon, or the like, they are particularly adapted for use with the container filling device which forms the subject matter of my copending application, Serial Number 182,899, filed December 31, 1937, which has means for holding a container in inverted position while a portion of the ice cream is cut from a bulk thereof and conveyed into the container as the device is pushed ldownwardly into the bulk of ice cream.

The invention will be described further in connection with the attached drawing which illustrate various embodiments thereof. However, it

-is to be understood that such further disclosure but with both end caps in place on the tubular body and turned slightly so that the venty openings therein are out of registry with the vent openings in the container body;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through a container of the form shown in Fig. 1, with the end caps in place and the ventopenings in the container .body and caps sin registry;

Fig. 4 is a'vie'wesimilar to Fig. 1 of another embodimentof the invention: l

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of a further embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a still further embodiment of my invention and showing a conl tainer having a venting tube extending through the opposing end thereof, the venting tube being shown in its outward position; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a filled container embodying the form of the invention shown 4in Fig. 7, and showing the venting tube pushed to its innermost position. K

Referring ilrst to the form of the invention :shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the container comprises a tubular body portion I, which may be of any desired shape b'ut preferably is circularin crosssection. Both ends of the container body I are open and the body is provided adjacent each end, at diametrically opposite points, with vent open- A mss z.

Each end of the tubular body portion is adapted to be closed by caps 3 provided with depending "flanges 4 adapted to frictionally engage the side wall of theQ body I `and -thereby retain the caps in place. The iianges of the caps are provided at Y diametrically opposite positions with openings l fand the position of those openings and the openings 2 in the container body are such that when the caps are in position on the container body. and in Ione angular position with respect to the container body, the openings 2 and 5 will be-in registry, as shown in Fig.- 3, land when vthe caps are turned to a different angular position with respect to the body I theopenings will be out of registry,as shown in Fig. 2. Hereafter, the angular position of the caps'with the holes 2 and 5 in registry will be referred to as the lling position" because the caps are in that angular position when the container is being filled, and the angular position of the caps with the holes v2 prevent it from oozing through the openings in 4the container body.

The tubular4 body I and the end caps 3 may befi'iyany desired material which is substantially impervious to air and liquids and the particular manner in which the body portion and the end caps are constructed forms no part of the present invention.

The containers may be furnished to reta'l dealers with both end caps in place on the tubular boch! portion, and inthe filling position, and when it is desired to iill a container with a plastic material such as ice cream, or the like, either one of the end caps may beY removed and the material placed in the container. As the material goes into the container, the air in the closed, or opposing end, will pass through the aligned openings 2 and until all of the air in that end of the container has been displaced. A small portion of the plastic material will then pass through the openings and thereby indicate to the person ll" ing the container that all of the air has been displaced from the opposed end and there are no voids left in the plastic material in that end of the container. Due to the fact that the container is being illled with a plastic material, none of it will pass through the aligned openings 2 and 5 until all of the air has been displaced from the opposed end of the container.

The container is shown as being provided with removable, frictionally-engaging caps at both ends' so that after the opposing end of the container has been completely iilled with the plastic material ,the end cap at that end may be turned, or moved to a different angular position on the body portion to bring the openings 2 and 5 into a position in which they are not in registry.

Each end of the tubular body portion, and each cap. are provided with the vent openings, so that l it willv be immaterial which end cap is, removed to permit nlling of the container.

The body portion and the end caps are provided with openings at each side so that regardless of which side is turned towards the person tllling it, he will be able to observe when a small portion of the material with which the container is being filled passes through the aligned openings 2 and 5. As soon as a portion of the material passes through those openings, he maydiscon- Atinue the pressing of the plastic material into the closed end thereof and thereby eliminate the necessity for further compacting the plastic material, with the resultant forcing of entrained air therefrom.

The form of the invention shown in'Fig. 4 is the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, except that the openings 2' in the tubular body portion I are formed as notches in the opposite ends thereof, and the corresponding openings 5' in the flanges l' of the end caps 3' are located closer `to the base, portion thereof in order to align with the openings 2 when the end caps are in one angular position with respect to the body portion.

Inthe form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the container comprises afcup-like container I having an open illing end and a closed opposing end 1. .The filling end of the container is closed with an end cap 8 as is common in such containers.

The closed end I is provided with a' non-centrally-positioned vent opening 9, which, when the container is being filled, is adapted to be in regis- A container such as is shown in Figs. 5 and 6 f is primarily intended for use where the container is being filled while its filling end is directed downwardly, as disclosed in my aforesaid application. After a sufcient amount of a plastic material has been forced into the container to completely fill it, a portion thereof will be forced out through the aligned openings 9 and Ill, thereby indicating tothe person filling the container that'it is completely full. The cap Il may then be turned to v`a different angular position to move the opening I 'out of registry with the opening 9, as shown in Fig. 6.

The form ofthe invention shown in Figs. 'l and 8, like the form shown in Figs. and 6, is adapted to be filled while the open or "lling end thereof is directed downwardly and also comprises a cp-like receptacle I3' having a closed end I4 and a filling end adapted to be closed byy a removable cap I5. A short tube I6 having atn open inner end il and a closed outer end I8 1s mounted for longitudinal movement in the closed end I4 of the receptacle, and is prevented from being completely removed by outwardlydirected flanges i9 and 20 at the outer and inner ends thereof. The side wall of the short tube is provided with a vent opening 2|, which when the tube is in its outermost position, as shown in Fig. '7, lies outwardly of the closed end I and provides a passage for the escape of air from the closed end of the containerwhen it is being filled. After the closed end of the container has been filled, or after the entire container has been filled, the short tube I6 may be pushed to its innermost position, shown in Fig. 8, to thereafter prevent any of the contents of the container escaping through the opening 2i.

The short tube I6.' will be of such size as to snugly fit the opening in the closed end I4 through which it extends so that it will be frictionally maintained either in its inner or other positions, depending upon whether/s the container is being filled, or whether -it has been filled and it is desired to prevent leakage of the contents thereof.

'Ihe containers of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive, like the container shown in Figs. l to 3, may be formed of any suitable material which is substantially impervious to air, but the containers of all forms of the invention preferably will be formed of' a paper-like material of sufficient rigidity and suitably treated to render it substantially 'waterproof and impervious to air.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a container which will eliminate a large proportion of the packaging loss which now exists in the sealing of ice cream or other plastic material which contains large amounts of entrained air, as the person filling the container will'be able to observe when all of the air in the opposed end thereof has been displaced and it will no longer the necessary for him to continue packing the ice cream or the like into the exposed end of the contanier, with resulting compacting and pressing of the entrained air therefrom. Also, as the containers have means atthe closed end yfor .pennitting escape of air during the Ifilling oi the container, there will be no voids in the containers after they have been filled and the purchaser will be assured of getting full measure.

I claim:

1. A container 'for plastic material and the like having a filling end and an opposing end, a closure readily securable to and readily removable from said filling end, whereby said container may -be lled, the closure readily applied and subsequently readily removed for giving access to the contents, and a cap overlying said opposing end, the body of said container being substantially impervious to air and having an opening adjacent the opposing end andiocated to lie beneath said cap, said cap being movable to filling and retaining positions on the container body and having an opening therein so located that when the cap is in the filling position with respect to the container body, the openings in the container body and the cap will be in registry and when the cap is moved to retaining position said openings will be out of registry and the opposed end closed to retain the plastic material therein.

2. A container for plastic material and the like having a filling end and an opposing end,

a closure readily securable to and readilyremovable from said filling end, whereby said container may be lled, the closure readily applied and subsequently readily removed for giving access to the contents of the container, and a cap'for closing said opposing end, the body of said container vbeing substantially impervious to air and having an opening ladjacentl the opposing end and located to lie beneath said cap, said cap being movable to filling and retaining positions on the container body and having an opening therein so located that when the cap is in the filling position, the openings in the container body and the cap will be in registry during which time the container is i'llled and when the cap is moved to retaining position said openings will be out of registry and the opposed end closed to retain the plastic material therein.

3. A container for plastic material and the like, said container having a filling end and an opposing end and comprising a tubular body portion substantially impervious to air, and closing end caps having flanges adapted to frictionally engage said tubular body portion and being movable to filling and retaining positions on said body portion, said tubular body' portion having an opening adjacent the opposing end located to lie beneath the flange of the closing cap at that end, and the ange of the cap of the opposing end of the container having an opening therein, saidv opening being so located that when said cap is in the filling position the opening therein and the opening in the body portion are in registry,

and when said cap is moved to the retaining position said openings are out of registry and the opposed end closed to retain the plastic material therein.

4. A container as set forth in claim 3 in which the opening in the body portion is a notch in the edge of the opposing end thereof.

5. A container for plastic material and the like, said container being substantially impervious to air and having a filling end and a closed opposing end, said closed opposing end having an opening therein, a member carried by the opposing end and movable to filling and retaining positions with respect to the body of the container, said4 registry, and the opposing end closed to retain the plastic material therein, and a closure readily securable to and readily removable from said filling end, whereby said container may be filled, the

closure readily applied and subsequently readily removed for giving access to the contents of the container. i,

6. A container for plastic material and the like, said container being substantially impervious to air and having a lling end and a closed opposing end, a cap overlying said closed opposing end and having flanges frictionally engaging'the body of the container, said cap being movable to lling and retaining positions with respect to the body portion of said container and having an opening therein, said closed opposingend also having an opening therein, the openings in said closed opposing end and in the overlying cap being so positioned with respect to one another that when the cap is in the lling' position on the body of the container said openings are in registry and when said cap is moved to retaining'position said openings are out of registry, and the opposed end closed to retain the plastic material therein, and a closure readily securable to and readily removable from said filling end, wherebysaid container maybe filled, the closure readily applied and subsequently readily removed i'or giving access to the contents of the container.l

7. A container for plastic material and the like having a tubular body portion substantially inuipervious to air, caps for each end of said tubular body portion having flanges adapted to frictionally engage said body portion, said body portion having an opening adjacent each end, the opening at one end being located to be beneath the ange of the cap for that end of the body por' tion and the -opening at the other end of the body portion being located to be beneath the flange ofthe other cap, the ange of each cap having an opening therein, the openings in the flanges of the end caps being so located as to be brought into or out of registry with the respective openings in said body portion, depending upon the angular positions of the end caps on the body portion, either of said caps`being removable to provide access to the interior of the container for filling purposes, the other of said caps then forming the closure `for the other end of the body portion and being movable to a lling position in which the opening in the flange thereof and the opening at that end of the body portion are in registry, and to a retaining position in which the opening in the ange thereof and the opening in that end of the body portion are out of registry, and that end of the body portion is closed to retain plastic material therein.

WILLIAM BROADDUS MASSEY. 

